The disclosure relates generally to mounting apparatuses, and more particularly, to mounting apparatuses for turbine airfoils of turbine systems.
Conventional turbo machines, such as gas turbine systems, are utilized to generate power for electric generators. In general, gas turbine systems generate power by passing a fluid (e.g., hot gas) through a compressor and a turbine component of the gas turbine system. More specifically, inlet air may be drawn into a compressor and may be compressed. Once compressed, the inlet air is mixed with fuel to form a combustion product, which may be ignited by a combustor of the gas turbine system to form the operational fluid (e.g., hot gas) of the gas turbine system. The fluid may then flow through a fluid flow path for rotating a plurality of rotating blades and rotor or shaft of the turbine component for generating the power. The fluid may be directed through the turbine component via the plurality of rotating blades and a plurality of stationary nozzles or vanes positioned between the rotating blades. As the plurality of rotating blades rotate the rotor of the gas turbine system, a generator, coupled to the rotor, may generate power from the rotation of the rotor.
In order to ensure each component of conventional gas turbine systems is operating at a desired level of efficiency and/or are generating a desired amount of power, the system and its components are often inspected and/or undergo inspection processes. In one example, it is crucial to operations of the conventional gas turbine systems that certain components remain aligned and/or maintain predetermined clearances. Specifically in an example, it is crucial that turbine blades rotating within the turbine component maintain a predetermined clearance with the shell or casing surrounding the turbine blades. Conventional inspection processes utilize an inspection device that may be coupled to turbine blade(s) of the turbine component via a coupling component. Once the inspection device is coupled to the turbine blade(s) using the coupling component, the turbine blades are rotated, along with the inspection device, to measure the clearance between the turbine blades and the shell. However, these coupling components are often large and/or cumbersome, which makes it difficult or impossible to manipulate the coupling components through the turbine component; especially where a space for inserting or accessing the turbine blades is limited. Additionally, because of the size and the configuration, conventional coupling components cannot adequately couple the inspection device to the turbine blade(s) during the inspection process. As such, the position of the inspection device may change (e.g., slippage of the coupling components) during the inspection process, which results in inaccurate measurements of the clearance between the turbine blades and the shell or casing of the turbine component. This ultimately affects the ability of the operator of the gas turbine systems from correcting operational inefficiencies and/or decreases in power generation caused by misalignment and/or undesirable clearances between the turbine blades and the shell of the turbine component.